Sunday, September 9, 2007

New UK PM Gordon Brown plans to announce some immigration reforms. One will require skilled immigrants to learn English before they can enter the UK:

Under the government's new "points" system, there are three main categories of immigrants coming to Britain from outside the European Union to work — highly skilled, skilled and low-skilled workers. The first two groups eventually can settle permanently in Britain; the third group cannot.


Highly skilled migrants have been forced to learn English as a condition of entry since last December. However, Mr. Brown and Mrs. Smith will announce this week that the condition will be extended to all skilled migrants, who numbered 96,000 last year.